Marine gabbier



C. J. BAER MARINE `CARRIER Oct. 25, 1938.

Filed Jan. .31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l C. J. BAER MARINE CARRIER Oct. 25, 1938.

Filed Jan. 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIII.

TH -R -R u R R m N I \V/\ f m RI wx IR I Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITI-:of STATES PATENT vv(llfF-ICIE] MARINE calunnia` u v carl J, nur, .reim-aon Burnham. Application January s1, 193s, serial No. 61,7"15

This invention relates to a marine carrier4 and more particularly to a ship of such construction that barges or other floating units may be floated intoA place and carried economically over an extended trip.

An object of the invention is to provide a ship streamlined in construction nomical as a carrier in which barges or other iloating units may be loaded with other portions of the ship so constructed as to provide freight handling space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier for freight handling including a plurality of separate watertight units ailording as' it were a number of portable bulkheads.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a carrier including a hull and a plurality -of portable units so shaped as to substantially cover an entire deck and so arranged that the units may be readily wedged and held securely in position.

Other and specific objects of the invention will appear from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ship embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the upper deck;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an intermediate or barge carrying deck;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a hold deck;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the ship; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a ship showing a modification.

The ship. as specifically illustrated in Fig. 1, includes a hull with an upper deck l, a main or barge carrying deck 2, and a hold 3. 'I'he hull has a double bottom and sides to provide ballastl tanks L By pumps, not shown, the ballast tanks may be filled 4and emptied to control the depth at which the ships rest in the water, thus permitting a ship to be submerged 'to a deck 2. A water-tight gate 5` which access to the barge deck 2 may'be had.

The hold is divided by partitions 6, as shown in Fig. 4, to provide cargo spaces 1 and cargo tanks 8. It is obvious, of course, that some of these tanks 8 may and will be used for fuel oil for fresh water and for other purposes than liquid cargo.

Hatch trunks 9 extend from the upper deck to the hold for communication with the cargo compartments 1. The arrangement then ofthe main or barge deck is such that barges may be oated into and out of the hull and into and out of the proper place on that deck through the gate 5.

is provided f by Dosedto and, therefore, eco- .and barge deck 2 in which the barges will nicely lit.

in Fig. 3 may Awedging or bracing line below the n As specifically illustrated on;Flg. .3, it isprouse barges of peculiar formationwhereby the space on this deck can be eiilciently utilized. These barges are in the form of an isosceles trapezoid with'the sides of the barges forming 5 the bases of the trapezoid and the bow and stern of the barge forming the legs of the trapezoid. Barges oi' this peculiar construction and their general utility are disclosed in my application Serial No. 13,895, filed March 30, 1935. 10 It will be observed that the hatch trunks 9 are such as to form recesses in the side of the horizontal compartment formed by the upper deck I v A master wedging device lli` of the form shown be placed adjacent the `gate 5. 'I'he member i0 has screws I l by which the device may be operated. Thus, when the screws Il are tightened the member I0 will be forced forwardly 20 and all of the barges will be wedged in place.

`When it is desired to pass the barges, the wedging device III maybe removed'or it may be merely raised above the top of the barges. It is to be understood that except as limited by the claims vthe invention is not connned to the use of oating units of the shape mentioned or to the particular .f

means, although much utility resides in their use,

By the provision of the carrier as specifically described, barges suitable for use in a harbor or for use on inland lakes, rivers and canals may be directly loaded o n the ship while provisions are made for elsewhere carrying freight, thus economizing in the use of space and making the carrier an efficient transportation device.

A construction embodying these improvements contains an added element of safety. The barges are watertight lcompartments and comprise, in effect, movable bulkheads. Should, for example, the ships hull be damaged sufliciently to sink a ship of ordinary arrangement, the buoyancy of the barges would be ample to keep the ship-afloat.

In such a case the barges would rise in waterl upon their deck, until they reached the overhead deck l, and then their buoyancy would assist in oating the hull. 'I'he barges -may be open at the top, like coal barges, or they may be closed and have water-tight hatches, like merchandise barges. In either event the safety factor mentionedr would be inherent.

The invention is not limited, of course, tothe use of floating units suitable for freight carrying. The invention has a suitable application for naval purposes whereby submarines or other naval ves- 56 sels of light Vtonnage and small cruising capacity maybe carried by a mother ship in such a manner that the minor craft may be readily loaded and unloaded at will.

' Fig. 6 shows a modification of the invention in which two barge decks I2 and I3 are provided above a hold Il. In this modification, as well as in the preceding embodiment, necessary ballast tanks are provided whereby the draft of the vessel may be regulated, thus permitting barges to be loaded either on the deck I2 or the deck I3.

It will be obvious that the specific construction of the ship as shown is not essential 4and that the invention may be utilized in ships having a varietyy of place on each of said decks.

units having straight sides and angular ends on the deck some of which flt in said recesses and all of which ilt together to substantially flll said deck space, and means for submerging the carrier i to a line above said deck whereby said units may be floated into and out of the carrier and into and out of place on the deck.

2. A marine carrier comprising a hull, a deck, a plurality of barges on the deck each in the form of an isosceles trapezoid and fitting together to substantially fill the deck space, a gate in the hull for the deck, and means for submerging the carrier to a line above said deck whereby said units may be floated into and out of the carrier and into and out of place on the deck.

3. A marine carrier comprising a hull, a plurality of decks, a gate in the hull for each of said decks, and means for selectively submerging the carrier to lines above the decks respectively, whereby floating container units may be floated through each of said gates and into and out CARL J. 

